


The Glass Box

by KazimaKuwabara



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Nakama, Nakamaship, Rescue Missions, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazimaKuwabara/pseuds/KazimaKuwabara
Summary: Three of the crew have landed themselves into some hot water when they get caught in a sealed room. It gets worse when the room literally begins to fill with water. Can their friends get them out before anyone comes to harm?
Relationships: Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates
Comments: 21
Kudos: 81





	The Glass Box

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try a story with Jinbe officially with the crew, so it's post time skip. This is just meant to be like a little piece out of a possible adventure the crew could have.

It was a trap, and a neatly done one too.

The room, or rather the 9'x10' glass box had been cleverly concealed into a larger room.

It was only Robin's sharp eye, and her devil fruit abilities, that had prevented anyone else from stepping into the glass box when the Straw Hats all ran into the room, hoping for a short cut out of the maze like warehouse they found themselves in. They were fleeing another over-powered asshole, bent on hurting others for some sort of gain. The reason never mattered. If Luffy saw fit, the pirates would turn vigilante and take out the overpowered thugs-which they had.

And late, as always, the Marines had shown up. Hence their need for a getaway. No one wanted to get caught by vengeful pirates, or Marines with a hero-complex.

Another typical day of being part of Luffy's Crew.

The only oddity so far was the huge class box the "Trembling Trio," better known as Usopp, Chopper, and Nami had run into.

Usopp, Chopper, and Nami had been at the head of their escape, and therefore had run into the box first, not seeing it inside the room the group ducked into. Robin halted the rest of her crew with the aid of sprouting many hands, and shouted for her unsuspecting crewmates, "Nami! Chopper! Usopp! Get out of there!"

Nami stopped running, Chopper slamming into her legs as she stopped, turning to look back at Robin in alarm. Usopp turned to look over his shoulder shouting, "What-" before running into a glass wall and stumbling to the ground with a stunned gasp. A glass door sealed the glass room up shut before anything else could be done, and everyone froze. Robin's many hands disappeared with a puff of flower petals, and slowly the rest of the Straw Hats entered the room side-stepping the glass trap. Jinbe shut the door quietly behind them as the divided crew stared at each other through the glass.

The spell of silence was broken as Usopp approached the glass wall and began speaking, or at least they thought he was speaking. No one could hear him.

"Usopp! Hey! Hey, Usopp!" Luffy shouted, banging on the clear wall.

Usopp stood on the other side of the glass, his hand cupped around his face. He appeared to be shouting, but no noise was escaping his mouth. Nami was now moving her mouth, but again, the group could hear nothing.

"Soundproof ain't it?" Franky mused watching a little bewilderedly as Nami and Usopp seemingly exchanged words.

"I'll fix this," Zoro muttered, drawing out his swords. Leaping up in the air, Zoro brought his blades down with a fierce twitch... only to bounce off the glass, and be sent toppling into the corner of a room, banging his head rather hard. He smashed back into the floor, cursing after several seconds of being face down on the floor. Several jaws dropped, while Sanji, unhelpfully, burst into loud amused laughter.

"Really, now isn't the time for this... we need to get out of here," Jinbe pressed, and took a stance before the glass room. He thrust his fist forward trying to use Haki to shatter the glass room and... nothing. It jiggled, and Jinbe stumbled like something had been bounced back at him. Glaring, Jinbe let out a soft, "Huh..."

"This... can't be a good sign," Franky muttered wearily, pushing his sunglasses on top of his head as he circled the glass room his three friends were trapped in. Robin followed, looking all around the room, trying to figure out if this place was some sort of trap, like she suspected, or if this place had another purpose.

Luffy tried punching the glass, and his fist came back to punch him in the face, sending him flying into the back wall.

"Ow!" Luffy complained, and tried three more times, with the same results. Wiping his nose, he ran back to the room and waved frantically at the three inside, "Guys! Guys! It won't break!"

Chopper was tapping the glass, seemingly trying to study it, as he worked his way around the little room trying to find a weak spot. Nami was pacing, and seemingly ranting, while Usopp was shouting something at Luffy, his hands cupped around his mouth.

"Hey! Usopp! USOPP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Luffy shouted back, hands cupping his own mouth.

For a time, the two mirrored each other in their shouting, though Usopp remained unheard.

"Okay Luffy, stop! We can't hear them, and I'm pretty sure they can't hear us!" Sanji finally snapped, no longer amused by Zoro being smashed into the ceiling. He looked suspiciously at the door they had just run in through, "But someone else might hear us, so let's keep it down!"

Nami, apparently angry from Usopp's shouting, yanked at some of Usopp's hair and screamed at the sniper, thought just like him, her voice could not be heard.

Sanji sighed wistfully, "Usopp gets all the fun..."

"You wanna be stuck in that thing... with _that?_ " Zoro snorted disbelievingly, ignoring the glare Sanji shot him.

"Well, they're stuck inside... and the door that closed shut behind them is gone. It's a perfect looking glass container now... like a tank," Brook observed with a tut, tapping the glass. He brought his own sword out and of its cane and dragged it on the glass's surface producing a strange musical sound. He hummed softly to himself, matching the octave of the sound, and shook his head, "This is not regular glass. I know what that sounds like, and _this_ is not it. This is something else."

"Well it certainly looks like glass, but looks can be deceiving," Jinbe sighed putting a hand on the surface of the translucent wall, "What in the world is this thing for?"

"I think it's used to test things," Robin said catching the group's attention. She was standing next to a computer built into a panel, seemingly made from the same clear substance that Usopp, Nami, and Chopper were trapped in. Robin was currently typing away, eyes scanning over the screen, while Franky leaned over her shoulder. The pair of them quietly looked over the rapid information Robin was flipping through.

"I don't understand any of this!" Franky rumbled frustrated.

Jinbe approached peeking at the screen as well, "That looks like some sort of code..."

"It is. It's shorthand... a mixture of two languages though... or perhaps one language with binary code... I'm not sure," Robin sighed.

"We're supposed to be leaving this place..." Zoro muttered with a frustrated growl, his eye rolling around the room, looking for any other traps they could have missed. He was pacing a little, more than a little pissed off his sword had not sliced whatever the hell that box was made out of.

"Surely, there must be a way to open this thing!" Brook tutted, hands going to his hips as he leered at the box.

"Maybe I can lift it!" Luffy blurted, squatting low to the ground and trying to rip the box from the floor. The room jiggled a little from his effort, and Chopper was knocked to the ground, while Usopp fell, face first into Nami's chest.

Sanji screeched in jealously, only to wince as Nami knocked Usopp with her Clima-Tact, pointing an accusing finger at Usopp, who waved his hands in frantic apology.

Luffy released the box, panting and gasping, and fell back on his butt, "It won't budge!"

"This is a real problem! That pirate Captain is down... but he could recover," Jinbe muttered, folding his arms in a calm echo to Zoro's tense pacing, "And then there's the Marines to deal with."

"Nah, he's down... and Marines S'marines! Pfft!" Luffy muttered dismissively, "but I'm done fighting... we need to go. I want dinner! But... this box..." Luffy pulled a face, pressing it flush against the glass. In a keening, high-pitched whine he moaned, "Why can't I break it?"

"Whatever it is, seems to be enhanced somehow," Robin muttered, typing away on the keyboard, eyes fluttering from it to the glass box looking for any change, "It's not some simple glass box. It does something... There are a few encrypted parts on here that look like it would trigger something."

"Yeah, look up there," Sanji half-shouted, pointing up. A clear pipe, made from the same clear glass as the box, ran along to the top of the box. "It looks like it could pour something in..."

"I don't like the sound of that," Franky sighed, not looking up from where he and Robin were examining the computer, "I'd take it apart, but I don't want to set something off! We need to go snag someone who can tell us how to open it!"

"Maybe if I punch this dumb box again... but with a little more force..." Luffy shouted pulling his arm way back, the limb quadrupling inside as he put more power behind his punch.

"Captain, I don't think you should do that..." Brook cautioned, though he chuckled after he spoke, as if expecting to be ignored.

Inside the sealed room, Usopp pointed at Luffy, and he and Nami swept up Chopper and rushed to the other side of the box, bracing themselves for whatever was to happen next.

"You've already tried that!" Sanji snapped a little impatiently.

"Well, what else can we do?" Zoro hissed at the cook.

"Let's find someone to open the fucking door!" Sanji seethed, shooting a glare at Zoro.

"Oh, and where are we going to find someone like that, right now? The whole place is bugging out from the marines! _Idiot,_ " Zoro returned, narrowing his eye at the cook.

The two turned to glare at each other, getting ready for a fight.

And then the door opened behind them.

Turning their heads to the door that led to the rest of the facility, the Straw Hats stared at a rather battered man, a crewmember of the pirate Luffy had defeated not just minutes ago. He stared out at them startled, and then tried to hastily retreat.

Jinbe reacted first, snatching the man up in his large hands, and kicking the door behind him, "What auspicious timing young man, we need your help."

The captive enemy squirmed, staring around at all the Straw Hats with horror. They had, after all, put him and the rest of his crew through a rather large ordeal, "N-no No way! I'm not helping you!"

"Oh, really?" Zoro asked, flipping Wado cleanly from its sheath, a smile spreading savagely across his face, "Why don't we test your claim?"

"How many broken bones are you willing to endure before you help us out?" Sanji added rolling his head from side to side, and shaking out his body as if to loosen up.

"Do tell us how well you can take it. We don't want to waste our time with the easy stuff. We're in a hurry, so we'll start with the things we know will be excruciating. That sound fair?" Jinbe asked, flashing his large teeth in a menacing smile, his voice calm and nonchalant.

The man paled dramatically, swallowed, and then blurted, "This is Captain's refining equipment. He'd use this to mix up the ingredients he needed for seastone safely, so he wouldn't have to touch it!"

The Captain had been a devil fruit user himself, so putting some distance between him and the substance made sense. 

"Why we thank you for that bit of information, that was not what we wanted to know," Robin said icily. 

Luffy curled up his face in disgust, "Can't believe a devil fruit user was making his own seastone to capture and hurt others! What a jerk! He _deserved_ to get beat up!"

Robin gestured to the computer, "How about you open the door for us? Do that, and we'll let you go."

"Unharmed even!" Franky added, glaring and smiling at the man, "Or at least as unharmed as you are at this moment... can't fix that broken nose we gave ya pal!"

Their captive pursed the lips from the insult and glanced around the room. His nostrils flared with anger, but he let out a grudging sigh, and gave a curt nod or consent. Jinbe walked the man to the computer, dropping him in front of it. 

"No funny business, now..." Franky warned, the cyborg flexing a huge arm in warning.

Nervously, the man punched in a series of numbers, Robin watching him with a frown. He typed even faster than she did. On his last keystroke, Robin gasped, "No!"

Wasting no time, Franky snatched the man away from the computer, but it seemed it was already too late. 

The door to the glass box did not open. Instead, the pipe connected to the glass room filled with water, and slowly began to trickle down on Nami, Chopper, and Usopp via a showerhead. The trio appeared surprised, and they looked up and then out at the group confused. Chopper frowned, flapping his arms up and down, Nami's lips moving to say some sort of comfort to him as she pat his head. Usopp was looking up, his eyes trailing to the pipe and then back to their room, some sort of thought brewing behind his eyes.

A chill ran up his body, and Usopp slapped his hands to his cheeks in fright.

He began shouting, his voice unheard by all but Nami and Chopper, and then he began running around the small room as he declared something that seemed to send Nami and Chopper into fright.

"What's going on?!" Luffy howled with distress and despair, face smashed up against the glass room once more.

"Oh no..." Brook gasped, his skull darting from the pipe to the glass room.

"What did you do?!" Franky roared shaking the man he'd caught up in his hands.

The man, still trembling, now started to laugh. This was not the manic laughter of someone frightened, but the triumphant laughter of someone who had thought they'd come out on top. His expression changed, and while still pale, he leered back at Franky unafraid.

"Like I'd actually help you lot! Do your worst!" the man sneered, sounding much braver than he had been a moment ago.

"Robin, what did he do, you were upset about something!" Sanji asked, eyes fixed on the glass box that now had a couple of inches of water.

"He's filling the room with water... and they're trapped inside," Jinbe said flexing his fingers anxiously.

"Oh, they're going to get wet," Luffy sighed, sounding sorry for his crew.

"It's worse than that!" Zoro shouted impatiently pointing at the box, "They'll run out of air, and drown!"

"Drown!? WE GOTTA GET THEM OUTTA THERE!" Luffy gasped, throwing another punch at the wall. It was rebounded off, and again, Luffy wound up punching himself in the face.

"I don't understand everything about the shorthand, but I did see the command for saltwater! That's saltwater filling the room! Seawater!" Robin answered, her hands typing away at the computer as she frantically tried to turn it off. The computer beeped back at her, the sound negative and dismissive. Each time it buzzed at her, Robin's jaw clenched.

"Chopper can't swim!" Zoro growled, grip tightening on his sword. 

"They'll drown..." Brook whispered voice hollow with fear, his face tilted downward and casting dramatic lighting to fall across his skull. It sent a little chill down the rest of the crew's spines and made the danger seem even worse.

"Hey! You bastard, turn it off!" Luffy roared rounding on the man, grabbing him away from Franky.

The man laughed again, puffing up his chest, "Long live Captin Braker! I can't fight you, but I'll let your friends drown like the dirty fuckin rats-"

Luffy punched the man in the face, busting the man's broken nose back into its original position. He hissed, and spit away the fresh wave of blood that gushed from his abused snout, and defiantly glared back at Luffy, his eyes still full of vengeful spite.

"I ain't helping you lot one bit! Kiss them good-bye," the man hissed, taking glee at the sight of Luffy's face.

"Hey!" Sanji barked, stalking towards the man, "That's my Nami-swan and friends in there; you're going to help us open this door-"

"Or what!? You've beaten me up already!" The man shouted back at Sanji, wincing only slightly as Franky hooked an arm around his neck and squeezed his iron grip around him, "I'm not afraid of you, or what any of you can do! I won't help you!"

Inside the box, Nami had gotten Usopp to stop running. The two were animatedly talking, pointing up at the ceiling of the glass box, where the showerhead was dispensing the water, and then to Chopper. Chopper, was looking a little wobbly, and had put down his doctor's bag, his arms having a slight tremble. Usopp's expression was grim, but he pulled out his Kabuto, and motioned for Nami to scoot away. The navigator scooped up Chopper and went to stand in a corner while Usopp loaded his shot and fired at the showerhead.

The shot hit, but the moment it met the glass showerhead, it ricocheted back, a small little marble size shot hitting Usopp square in the chest with a fierce force. Usopp went down, knocked flat by his own shot. He twitched, and then lay very still, Nami and Chopper both clearly screaming with alarm.

"Usopp!" Franky shouted, releasing the man into Luffy's custody again, so that he could run and bang on the wall of the glass room.

With help from Nami, he was back up, rubbing his chest, a baseball-sized welt already growing from where he was struck.

Zoro let out a tense sigh of relief, before swearing under his breath.

"Shit! That was dangerous..." Sanji muttered, disappointed the glass box hadn't shattered from the inside. It was like the damn thing had no weakness! "That was a good idea Usopp, good idea," Sangi praised, even if the sniper couldn't hear him. The stress of his trapped crew was getting to him, and he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Good try..." Jinbe agreed, voice full an anxiety as he watched the three struggle.

Franky banged on the glass until Usopp was looking at him. In a stern, almost fatherly tone, Franky pointed at Usopp and shouted, "Don't you do that again!"

Usopp smiled at Franky and shrugged, clearly unable to hear the cyborg, but able to read Franky's expression.

Luffy was still shouting and hitting the captured man demanding for his friends to be released. The man laughed at Luffy's outrage and his effort to intimidate him. He was not going to give in.

"I'm not going to help you, and there's not a thing you can do about it!" the man sneered, spitting at Luffy in the face, Luffy taking it calmly, even as Zoro snarled like a wild animal at the sight of it.

Luffy pushed the man towards Brook, muttering, "Hold onto this!" before turning his attention back to the glass room.

"We've got to break this damned box!" Luffy's hand swelled to twice its size and he slammed it into the glass, the box again bending and flexing, but not breaking. The strength of it even threw Nami, Chopper, and Usopp off their feet, sloshing the water inside. But even after all that, the box was still unharmed. Nami shook a fist at Luffy's direction, her mouth opening and closing rapidly as she shouted.

"Nami, I'm sorry! I can't hear you, but I gotta get you out!" Luffy shouted back, turning a distraught expression towards the navigator, his arms opened up helplessly.

Her anger softened, and she sighed. She flashed Luffy a smile, and then a thumbs up, before helping both Chopper and Usopp to their feet.

"Franky, could you throw me up on that pipe?" Jinbe asked, a large hand coming to Franky's back, "Maybe the pipe isn't the same material and can be broken."

"Good suggestion bro!" Franky cheered, his tone still tense. He turned away from the trapped trio to pick up the large Fishman and after tucking him up into one arm, tossed him with ease on top of the box, right next to the pipe. Once settled, Jinbe flashed Franky a 'thumbs up,' and Franky struck a pose. Chopper and Usopp clapped their hands, and Nami rolled her eyes shaking her head. She didn't need to be heard to cast shade.

Now that Jinbe was up there, he kept his stance wide, and thrust his fists forward, pushing his power through his fist and out. The pipe wobbled, bowed and flexed, but still nothing. There was a sharp groaning sound, enough to make one wince, but it did not break, let alone crack. The pipe persisted. Jinbe growled in the back of his throat, "Once more..."

He tried again, but the results remained the same.

Zoro had gotten his swords back out, flicking them end over end, and was trying again to slice the glass; Luffy punching it from the opposite end. Sanji was pacing around the square box muttering curses and kicking at the corners of the box, hissing as he was repelled backward.

Nothing was working.

The water was picking up its pace, the slow trickle, now a steady shower. Helplessly, the trio watched as their friends tried to bust the glass room, and then Chopper sat down, the seawater taking its toll on his strength. Usopp turned to his friends, arms moving and gesturing as he talked to them. Nami and Chopper were listening, nodding to what Usopp was saying. Eventually, he smiled, hopeful and a little scared, and they smiled back, forcing confidence into their grins. Then Nami removed her bag, Chopper relinquishing his own which he'd still been dragging around. The pair tossed the bags into the corner. Usopp followed their lead, and then proceeded to tug off his boots, and like their bags, tossed them off to the side.

"They're up to something!" Brook called out, his boney arms full of their captured enemy.

"What are they doing?" Sanji asked anxiously pacing the length of one of the walls, his leg aching after his last attempt at shattering the box.

"Usopp's getting them prepared for the worst," Jinbe answered gravely, "Clever. They don't need those items to hold them down."

Sanji looked up at their newest crewmate, his face tight with tension before he looked back at the trio stuck inside. Nami had removed the belt from her pants, and was tying Chopper to Usopp's back, the little reindeer looking apologetic as he clung helplessly to the sniper. Usopp smiled reassuringly at the reindeer and then flexed his arms, striking a pose like Franky, and then clearly began to speak an elaborate tale of some sort. Whatever it was enchanted Chopper, and even made Nami smile.

Franky gave a pained sound through his nose as he watched the sight, concern leaking out of his scowl.

"We need to get them out," Robin whispered her voice tight. 

As if to add even more gravity to her words, a low sound echoed from beyond the pipe and more saltwater came rushing down, now rapidly filling the glass room. 

Usopp passed Nami his Kabuto, and dug around in his bag, grabbing some pop-green seeds before rejoining Nami. The water was to their waists, and she lopped her arm with Usopp as they both stared up in fright at the water that was pouring down on them. Nami looked back down, her eyes sweeping over the glass box as it filled with water. Her gaze caught Luffy's livid expression, and from her frightened gaze, Luffy was turning back to the man, whom Brook still kept trapped in his embrace, his sword to the man's throat.

"LET THEM OUT NOW!"

The man sneered at Luffy, eyes narrowed, "Sure... just put me at the computer. _I'll help._ Not a problem."

Luffy looked hopeful, but both Zoro and Franky growled, "He's lying!"

"Let's just knock the bastard out and find someone else!" Franky added, pulling his hand back and smashing it against the glass. The glass groaned and rattled, but again it flexed, and snapped itself back into place. A wave of seawater sloshed, crashing into the Nami and Usopp, knocking the former into the latter. Usopp steadied her, Chopper's arms squeezing around Usopp in fright.

"Ah! I'm sorry bros!" Franky apologized helplessly, stilling; too afraid to punch again and cause another wave like reaction.

"There may not be time for anybody else!" Jinbe reasoned his voice clipped and edged with desperation. He had just joined the crew, he did not want to lose any of its members so soon.

"We need to get this one to talk!" Zoro snarled, turning from the box to point a sword at the man. He took one step forward, "I'll make him talk!"

"I will do it," Robin's voice, low and resolute cut through the mounting tension.

All eyes turned to her, but she was still staring at the box, tension in her shoulders as she watched the glass room fill with salt water.

"My years of being on the run had me joined up with many unsavory people... I've learned quite a few nasty tricks from them. I will make this man confess how to get our friends out... And Luffy, I swear... I won't kill him," Robin turned to look at her Captain, her eyes wide and unblinking.

She and Luffy held a heavy stare, and Luffy nodded grimly.

"Zoro... if you'll bring him into the hall with me... " Robin muttered waving for the swordsman to follow her.

Zoro blinked, his expression rigid, and anxious, but he grabbed the man by his throat and followed Robin out in the hall. The man struggled a bit, and scoffed, "What can a woman do-"

Robin paused for a second, and tilted her head at an odd angle, hair sliding like an inky wave over her cheek, as she leered her blue eyes down at him, "Yes... what can a _desperate_ woman do?" She echoed softly. Something in her eyes made the captured man shudder, and he closed his mouth, shrinking a little into his shoulders. Robin resumed her walk outside, Zoro standing a little straighter, a little stiffer, and followed, the man silent in his grasp. He shut the door behind them as they left, leaving the rest of the crew, alone.

They could only watch their three encased friends continue to struggle, as they were forced to wait for Robin to complete her task.

Luffy kept his hands pressed flat to the glass, and watched his friends inside, his teeth clenched, and his eyes unblinking, "We'll get you out, we'll get you out!"

Usopp and Nami exchanged nervous glances. They had no way of knowing what had been decided, what was happening outside their room, but they nodded at Luffy as if they understood him. Chopper nodded too, his little face grim.

Minutes felt like hours. But within those minutes the room had flooded quickly, Nami and Usopp swimming to bob in the surface of the water, the ceiling getting ever closer.

Sanji was pacing, unable to enjoy, or even notice the way Nami's clothes were clinging to her in the water. Jinbe was still half working on the pipe trying new ways to tear it off in between his helpless staring at the trapped crew members. Brook was circling the glass box, his skull scanning slowly up and down as he moved; he was desperate to find a weakness. Franky, like Luffy, kept his hands flat on the glass, and would on occasion comment on something the trio had done.

When there was only about a foot of headspace left, Franky gasped, "Hey! Hey, Usopp's up to something!"

All eyes snapped up, and they watched as Usopp untethered Chopper from his person, and passed the reindeer to Nami. Nami looked confused and struggled to keep afloat with Chopper, who seemed to be pulled down unnaturally by the seawater. Usopp was chattering, his grin nervous, but eager. He opened his clenched fist, showing off the few green seeds he had grabbed from his bag. He pinched one between his forefinger and thumb, and threw it a couple of feet away.

A balloon-like plant, exploded from it, and then he motioned for Nami and Chopper to come over, and with Nami's help, began to put the strange plant on Chopper's head. Chopper looked uncertain as it sat atop his head, and then his expression got worried as both Nami and Usopp tugged it down over the doctor's face.

"What _is_ that?" Jinbe muttered, pausing to watch what was happening with a confused frown.

"Something that must help..." Franky muttered helplessly, "Usopp-bro's plants can do all kinds of things!"

"Maybe... Maybe it gives extra air? It's floating at the very least," Sanji muttered, his thumbnail in his mouth. He had forgotten he even had cigarettes.

Once Chopper's whole head was secured inside the plant, Nami and Usopp let the reindeer go with careful hands. Chopper floated half suspended inside the plant, and after a moment waved his arms in excitement. He even managed to do a bit of a doggy paddle inside the water filled room without being pulled down.

"He's not sinking!" Brook sighed with relief.

"That's m'boy!" Franky cheered, slapping Sanji hard on the back who was grinning wide. Luffy also let out a cheerful little laugh, though his eyes still watched his friends with an unblinking gaze. Nami and Usopp turned to each other grinning wide. Usopp stuck up his nose proudly as Nami clearly praised him. Then Usopp crushed another seed between his fingers and threw it out, another plant immediately beginning to balloon out.

"Nice! Nice! Great thinking Usopp-bro, great thinkin'!" Franky whooped again, practically shaking with his nerves.

"This will work, surely this will work," Jinbe was saying to himself, watching the three from above.

When the plant had fully ballooned out, Usopp grabbed it and held it out towards Nami. His offer seemed to trigger a slight argument. From her features, and gesturing, it looked like she wanted Usopp to put it on his own head first. He held up one last seed, and shook his head no, and then made several motions, saying with his body, as well as probably his mouth, _"I need to help you get it on."_

"I'm going to make him whatever dessert he wants tonight!" Sanji blurted, relieved to see Nami give in, and pull the plant over her head. 

"It must have more air for them... Usopp seems very confidant," Jinbe was muttering, no longer concerned with the pipe, but watching Usopp.

When Nami was secured inside the plant, Usopp helped her find Chopper's arm, so that she could grip it. With her other free hand, she squeezed Usopp's arm and he pat her hand before swimming slightly away from her. He crushed his own seed, and threw it, a confident grin on his face.

The third balloon like plant started to emerge, but it only got about a fourth of the way full, before fizzling out and sinking towards the bottom of the water filled box.

All eyes followed the deflated plant's trajectory in shock before they drew up to look at Usopp.

His mouth was open in shock, and his eyes were wide. A tremble had set to his body, and his face grew pale. Stiffly, he turned his wide frightened eyes to Luffy, who was staring back at him, his mouth open in instant alarm.

"Oh my heavens," Brook whispered, dropping his cane, the sword half spilling out of it as it clattered uselessly to the floor.

"No... no! NO!" Franky spat, banging his fists on the wall of the room, "USOPP!"

"USOPP!" Luffy echoed, his voice cracking as he brought a fist back, and slammed it into the glass, eyes wide with terror, panic, and anger.

Jinbe cursed and ran back to pipe, and bracing himself, began to try and pull the damned thing off the top of the glass room once again. He would break his back if he had to, but they were getting Usopp out!

Sanji threw himself against the box, hands flat on the surface as he stared up into Usopp's direction willing the sniper to look at him.

Usopp had broken his gaze from Luffy's, his eyes growing distant as he panic began to clearly set in. He did not look at Sanji, nor anyone, as his stare went out and away, lost in some terrible thought.

Nami reached out, her vision no doubt blocked by the plant encompassed around her head. She reached out for her friend, and found his hand, her touch bringing Usopp back to the moment. She squeezed his hand tight seeming to want something from him. Stiffly Usopp looked over at Nami, and then dragged his eyes to Chopper, his two Nakama unaware that Usopp's plant had failed him. A strange look crossed Usopp's face, and weakly he raised a thumb, and let Nami's searching hand clasp around it.

The tension fled from her body and she relaxed, unaware of the lie Usopp had fed her with a simple gesture.

"Usopp! you... You..." Franky howled, tears streaming down his face. He slammed both fists against the glass, sobbing, "You're a brave man brother... but you.. you better not!! Don't you fucking..." Franky choked on his tears slamming his fists again. A cold knot had formed in his stomach, and a terrible dread crawled up his back. He was so proud of that kid for being brave, that stupid, _stupid_ kid. But if Usopp thought he was dying in there...

"I won't allow it!" Franky roared, pointing his hand at the box, launching missiles from his knuckles at the box.

"Franky!" Brook had time to shriek in alarm before the missiles found their target and exploded. 

The ground shook, the sound of water sloshed, and smoke filled the air.

As it cleared, the box was still unbroken, and Usopp was still inside, eyes full of despair and fear as he the water crept up to his chin, now churning around him from the shockwave Franky's blast had caused. 

Sanji was leaping in the air, sky walking until he was on top of the box, his feet hitting the glass noisily just next to Jinbe, who still tried to pull at the pipe. He collapsed on all fours, and banged on the glass roof before giving up. If he couldn't kick the damn thing apart, there was no way he'd punch his way through. Sanji kept his hands flush against the glass, willing and wishing his hands would sink through the glass, so he could snatch his friends from danger.

Usopp's head was now touching the ceiling and he turned to look up at Sanji, their desperate eyes meeting.

"Usopp!" Sanji gasped, his throat full of a sob he wasn't yet willing to let escape. Usopp brought his own hands up to touch the glass ceiling, his hands right beneath Sanji's. Three inches of enhanced glass was keeping them apart. Such a small distance, that might of well have been hundreds of miles. 

"Usopp..." Sanji rasped again, unable to look away from the sniper and his petrified eyes.

Usopp lowered a hand, and placed it on his heart, and took in a trembling breath. He took two more in, trying to calm his no doubt rapidly beating heart. The water was closing in. There was not much air left for him now.

"No... no..." Jinbe growled, the sound morphing into a roar as he kept straining against the damned pipe, his muscles bulging with his effort.

Sanji mouthed Usopp's name again, and numbly, he looked over at Nami and Chopper. They didn't even know. Nami still had a hand curled like a vice around Usopp's arm, and with a sick little nervous feeling, Sanji wondered if she had suspected something like this might happen. Had she seen something off about the seeds the others hadn't noticed? Had Usopp used these seeds, knowing this might happen? 

Would they get this tank open, and only rescue two Nakama, and not three?

Usopp's hand found Nami's and gently he pulled it away from him, and bracing his feet on the side of the wall, he pushed himself where her hand could not find him. Her hand did search, thrashing in the water as it looked for him. Sanji closed his eyes against the sight of it. He could just picture Nami's terrified face, and hear her thoughts. She would know something was wrong.

Sanji turned back to Usopp, and watched as he kept his hands on the ceiling and crawled away from Nami, putting himself far away from her desperate and searching hand.

"What are you doing Usopp?" Sanji croaked, crawling on the top of the sealed room, following where Usopp moved.

"Oh God... Oh God... what's he doin'?!" Franky echoed, voice sounding pained.

Luffy was growling like an animal, his face flushed as angry tears brimmed his eyes. He was still punching the wall, the room echoing with the sound of it. His knuckles had started to bleed some time ago, but he kept at it, bashing his fist over, and over, and over into the wall, determined to somehow break the cursed wall!

Usopp's face was practically mashed up against the ceiling. There was only an inch or two of air left now. He did not look at Sanji or Jinbe, but stared at a spot only he could see. He was trying to get his breathing normal, but it was hard to tell if that was doing any good. He took in a last long breath, and then pushed himself in the water, relaxing his body as he sank, his eyes closed.

"He's diving!" Brook shouted grabbing at his fro.

"H-He's a good swimmer..." Franky muttered weakly, eyes glued to Usopp's form, "He can hold his breath a long time. We've seen it."

That did not make it better.

Sanji launched himself into the air, screaming as he brought his leg down on the glass. Jinbe was still trying to pull the pipe off of the room, even though it had already completely filled up, even though he knew in his gut... it would be impossible. Brook and Franky were trying what Luffy had tried earlier, and trying to somehow rip the box off the floor, determined to get their Sniper out in some way or another.

And Luffy, screaming loudest of all, was still punching the glass, blood dripping down the side.

"USOPP!!!"

Usopp remained in the water, eyes closed, and face full of concentration as held his breath. He was still, and kept perfectly so as his first minute rolled by with his head underwater. His face was the only thing that showed signs of his tension, as he continued to hold his breath, his brow twitching every time someone pounded on the glass. 

Jinbe released the pipe, exhausted and panting. He looked at Usopp's concentrated face, at the others banging on the glass, and at Nami's tense back. They needed to stop.

"Everyone stop! Our actions are not helping Usopp and are only serving to distract him, and cause Nami and Chopper to be nervous! We need to be still, and wait!" Jinbe shouted, reaching for Sanji and hauling the blond up to his feet to keep him from pounding on the glass any further. "We do Usopp a disservice in trying to smash this box. We know it can't be broken... we have to wait for Robin. We're only bothering him!"

Sanji struggled against Jinbe, his eyes wide and unblinking, filled with distraught and the need to protect, to save. But Jinbe tucked him against his side, and leaped back to the ground.

"No!" Sanji gasped in protest, desperately staring at his friends.

Jinbe released Sanji when they were down, and took Luffy up in his arms, once again holding the struggling rubber man against him, as he had done years before after the passing of Ace. "Luffy!" Jinbe rumbled, his voice low and full of concern, "We are making it hard for Usopp to concentrate and hold his breath! If we keep causing a ruckus, Nami and Chopper might remove themselves from their plants, and then our friends will be in even more danger! We need to be calm and still... and trust our friends."

Luffy remained tense in Jinbe's arms, but he stopped trying to thrash, and with his head bowed cursed, "Dammit! Dammit! I... I..."

Jinbe squeezed Luffy gently, "I know... I know. It's hard. It's all we can do."

Sanji put both his hands on the back of his head, and fell into a low squat, staring up at Usopp's suspended form. Now that they had stopped pounding on the glass, Usopp seemed to relax. Nami's flailing hand within the water stilled, and instead latched on to Chopper. What must they all be experiencing inside that tank, unable to communicate?

"Son of a bitch!" Franky snapped removing himself from the glass, his face ravaged with fear and concern. Brook put a companionable hand on Franky's back, and very softly whispered, "Usopp will be alright! He's a tip notch swimmer... why he's boasted to me that when he was eleven he could hold his breath longer than any professional diver on his island... and I like to believe him."

Luffy let out an explosive breath, and muttered, "Jinbe... put me down."

The Fishman obeyed, and Luffy returned to the glass, placing his palms flat on the glass. He let out a shaking slow breath and muttered, "Robin will get the information we need. They'll be alright."

Reluctantly, and with bated breaths, the Straw Hats waited.

Minutes rolled by that might as well have been hours.

The room was silent as they waited and hoped for Robin to come running through that door with a way to free their friends.

Sanji had just counted to the eight-minute mark, when a stream of bubbles burst from Usopp's mouth. His hands flew to his mouth, pressing his palms firmly against his lips in an effort to keep his remaining air inside.

"No..." Franky breathed, terror creeping into his voice.

"Usopp!" Luffy choked, banging a fist uselessly on the glass, "Usopp!"

The door banged open, and Robin briskly walked into the room, a drop of blood on her cheek.

Her eyes had a strange detached look to them, and she wasted no time in hurrying over to computer not even looking at the current state their friends were in. Zoro followed in slightly after, looking grim but calm. His eyes followed Robin's back, and he shut the door behind him, the captive not with him. He looked up, and noticed the state everyone was in and rushed to stand next to Sanji's side, his face twisted in a bitter grimace of concern at the sight inside the water filled room.

Robin approached the keyboard, her hands flying over it. After several seconds, she clicked a final button, and on the floor of the glass box, a tile moved, and a drain opened up. Slowly water drained from the room, the trio sinking as the water disappeared. The Straw Hats gathered all together on the ground, pressing themselves against the glass watching as Nami and Chopper sank back down, while Usopp was already on the floor. Usopp had tucked himself on the floor, his hands still clamped over his mouth, and his eyes closed shut. 

The water was draining as more bubbles streamed from his mouth. He was losing it, but the tank was emptying.

"Come on... come on!" Zoro whispered, his hand coming down to squeeze Sanji's shoulder. Sanji didn't push him away. He just watched, waiting for the damn room to empty, and for his friends to be safe.  
  
In another thirty seconds, Nami and Chopper were on the ground, both kneeling and wiggling out of the ballooned plant helmets. Usopp was on all fours gasping and choking, his eyes open with shock and relief that he had managed to make it. Robin pressed another button, and an entire wall of the glass box fell away. They were out. They were safe.

With a shaking voice, she pointed at the computer, "Smash it."

Franky slammed one mighty fist on the control panel, crushing the cursed thing immediately.

Nami and Chopper were both dropping the plants to the ground, when Luffy had sacked Usopp to the floor, followed immediately by Sanji.

"Usopp!"

"What the hell was that? What the hell was that!?"

Franky stomped over to the three piled on the floor, and picked them all up in his massive arms, squeezing them tightly, "Usopp-bro, don't you ever fucking do something like that again! God, I'm so proud of you! You're a fucking man, but don't you _EVER_ do something like that again!"

"I-I'm still trying to catch my breath!" Usopp wheezed shakily, his color still not returned. His voice was strained and tight. He had probably begun to swallow and choke on the water. He had been very close to drowning.

When Franky let the trio go, Usopp kept his arms around Sanji and Luffy's shoulders his legs shaking so much, he could not support himself.

"I-I thought I was going to die!" Usopp wheezed, choking around a forced laugh. Luffy made a despairing noise, and squeezed Usopp tighter, pressing his face against Usopp's neck in quiet need to give comfort and feel comforted. Sanji kept his arm around Usopp's shoulder squeezing the younger man tight, unable to speak.

The others had drifted nearby, but hung back, not wanting to crowd the shaken Sniper more than he already was. They would each take their time in checking on him later, but there were other friends to comfort.

Zoro had plucked up Chopper, and quietly asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah! Usopp's plant saved us! It could make us float and had air inside..." Chopper answered, still looking a little wrung out from being surrounded in the ocean water. He was peering over at Usopp, concern deep in his eyes, "What... what happened to Usopp!?"

"Why did you think you were going to die?" Nami interrupted, gently patting Brook's hand that had fallen on her shoulder out of concern. Her face was full of tension and suspicion. There was a tension in her chin that showed she had a haunch as to what had happened, and that Usopp's answer might push her to tears.

"You had a plant too, right Usopp?" Chopper asked, his voice a willful plea, "Right?!"

Usopp looked guilty, and remained clinging to Sanji and Luffy, still greedily taking in large gulps of air.

"His didn't work," Jinbe answered, standing now by Zoro, the two having a different conversation, but with their eyes alone. Jinbe glanced at Robin, after Zoro gave a curt nod. Jinbe then looked back to Nami, "His plant never ballooned out like yours."

"Usopp!" Nami shrieked, voice choked off at the terrifying thought of it. She grasped him, hands clinging tight around him, "What.. why didn't..."

"The plant is only good for one person..." Usopp muttered, "It's not like we could share, we would have... we both could have..." Usopp didn't complete the sentence, still to shaken to admit to how close he could have been to actually dying.

"You!!" Nami's eyes swam, and her lips curled into a snarl, but she flung her arms tight around Usopp clinging to him with all her might. He returned the embrace, choking on a rattled sigh.

"Why did you give me a signal that it was okay?!" Nami sobbed.

Usopp didn't answer. He closed his eyes tight, held her closer, and muttered an apology into her shoulder, his eyes wet from more than seawater.

Brook, quietly approached Robin, who stood apart from the group, not joining in their relieved reunion. Her eyes were distant, not seeing the relief and joy she had brought to her crew in saving Usopp's life. In freeing their friends.

Her eyes were stuck somewhere in the past, something Brook could relate to. Retrieving a small handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped the speck of blood from her cheek, the archaeologist startling and looking up at the musician.

"My dear... whatever you did to that man... those learned talents, while dark, and no doubt obtained from your years of desperation... those skills saved our dear Nakama today. You saved a life today, and more than one, if you think about what this loss would have done to this crew. Remember, what you did saved us, and saved him. Thank you, Miss Robin," Brook said soft and sincere.

Robin flushed and blinked rapidly her eyes suddenly misty. She smiled, and took his handkerchief and finished cleaning her face, "Thank you Brook... I'm alright."

She looked at Usopp, alive and unharmed, and Nami and Chopper, all soaked to the bone, a little shaken but no worse for wear, and she let out a long slow drag of breath, "I'm truly alright."

Brook smiled, chuckling slightly, "Yes, Miss Robin. You are."

Luffy squeezed Usopp one last time, leaving the Sniper to remain in Sanji's care, the chef still keeping Usopp's arm around his shoulder, fully prepared to carry the sniper our of here if he had to. Luffy then picked up Chopper's bag and passed it over to the reindeer, still snug in Zoro's arm, and then hooked an arm around Nami, smiling at his Navigator. She smiled wetly back, and gave him a nod of reassurance.

At last, Luffy looked over at Robin, his eyes shining with gratitude and pride. The last of Robin's lingering doubts disappeared in a puff of smoke, and she stood a little straighter nodding back at her Captain.

Luffy grinned, and jerked his head, "Come on! We're still escaping! Let's get out of here."

Together the group enclosed around the trio protectively, and with a careful eye on one another, all rushed to make their escape.

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write this like tense segment of an action packed adventure, without having to write everything else. It was fun, I hope you liked it.


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